Sport: I Didn't Pay to Get In

Well in advance, the fight had been labeled a "stinkeroo." Shuffling Jersey Joe Walcott, never a dashing crowd-pleaser, was old (35) and tired. His opponent, thin-mustached Ezzard Charles of Cincinnati, was young enough (27), but he was a second-rater without punch or drive. Just before they squared off in Chicago's Comiskey Park last week, a hanger-on wriggled in to where Joe Louis sat in the fourth row and asked breathlessly: "Champ, have you got a last-minute pick?" Deadpan Joe, the front man for boxing's new promotional monopoly, mumbled forthrightly: "Ain't doin' any pickin'...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!